Solution processability is one of the most distinctive features that set organic semiconducting materials apart from their inorganic counterparts, such as silicon-based semiconductors. This property makes conjugated polymers attractive for applications such as low-cost solar cells and field-effect transistors, owing to their compatibility with widely-used fast printing techniques. Solubility of conjugated polymers in common organic solvents (e.g., chloroform, toluene and chlorobenzene) can result from the attachment of flexible aliphatic chains as solubilizing groups onto conjugated moieties. Such solubilizing groups may include, for example, branched alkyl chains such as 2-ethylhexyl, 2-hexyldecyl and 2-octyldodecyl groups and linear alkyl chains such as hexyl, octyl and dodecyl groups.
While such materials have been useful in a variety of applications, their implementation can be difficult with respect to achieving high mobilities. These and other matters have presented challenges to the implementation of materials, such as polymer-based materials, for a variety of applications.